So i am one of those few who still write letters. …umhhhh…yes i do. It is one of the most intimate things for me to do and I relish in it. I touch base and feel a connection as i write. I think as well, especially when it comes to my loved ones wide and far, i feel a part of them when I grab the pen… Let’s say for example it’s a birthday. I love to jot down what i love about that person, their strengths and i always love to mention how we relate and remind them of how much they mean to me.
This takes me back to my school days. That is when i remember the endless letters back and forth, the excitement about updates on my favorite television series (thanks mom) and the occasional note from dad. It’s one thing I still hold on to. I remember the first letter in which mom was helping me to settle into school and advising me on how to handle any potential bullies.
Another one close to my heart is meal time. One of my fondest memories is eating together and catching up on the dining table. Meal time was important to us as a family and I have actually started to do that, when i have guests by switching off the television and using that time to bond, talk, mix, mingle as we eat.
Photos, photos, photos….i love the camera and i cannot live without it….truly and absolutely my life is complete with photos. I live for the random snapshots and memories, relishing in them. For years unending, i have held a camera close to me and my memories too.
The outdoors…. even if i lived in Iceland, the outdoors would be my friend…..it’s the simple walks, the dust, the dirt, the trees, the wind and breeze. I grew up in the middle of the city and always took walks on Sunday with my mom and brothers. We also walked to school and back and you know in those moments there’s conversation, fresh air and thoughts running all at once.
Games like ludo, snakes and ladders, scrabble….that’s the modernish version. I grew up playing dodgeball (two people on either side throw the ball at you in the middle and if you get hit, out you go and another person gets into the ring). Then we also had this game called dool where a stone like fruit is used to hit a couple of others (about five). If you hit one and the others disperse then it’s a win. Monopoly and cards too were in then. When i hosts guests these days, games are on the menu.
Touching base…..this one is very much taken up by technology and don’t get me wrong ,i love it all…..face time, viber, whatsapp video calls and all of that. Despite all that, I still feel deeply about seeing someone, a hug, peck, kiss and pinch. I look forward to seeing people and visiting ….just making merry.
Reading…..a book a day definitely keeps the teacher away….the mind is an instrument of what you feed it with. i grew up in a home where reading was mandatory. We read a book every month and watched the news and summarized it. We had this both at school and at home. So I read a book every morning and keep it going month after month.
It’s all in the simple things…..
RawandReal
Raw and Real 